Mother charged with stabbing her child then herself and falsely blaming a sneak attack

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WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. - A Wheat Ridge mother is charged with stabbing herself and her little boy before falsely blaming a sneak attack from a man hiding in the bushes along a greenbelt trail.

Stephany Mary Harwood, 21, was stabbed in the legs and her toddler was stabbed in the stomach on Aug. 22. An elderly couple called 911 after finding the injured pair on the trail near West 48th Avenue and Otis Street.

Harwood told police a man jumped out at them on the trail and she tried to run with her child, but couldn't evade the stabbing. She even identified a suspect, a 44-year-old convicted sex offender.

Police shared the suspect's photo and description, asking the public to call 911 if they saw him.

Although the man had an outstanding arrest warrant, but Wheat Ridge Police Department spokesman John Romero now says the man was not connected with this crime.

Harwood was arrested and charged with child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury for allegedly inflicting the stab wounds herself.

She is being held on $100,000 bond in the Jefferson County Detention Center.

Romero said the child has recovered and is now in the custody of another family member.

Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.